Every day we are saturated with hundreds to thousands of messages from hundreds to thousands of messengers. Some are bold and powerful while others are subtle but no less potent. Many messages are easy to ignore but others can be deceptively persuasive evoking emotions or impressions upon our psyche that slip past our self-developed filters.
One of the greatest challenges of living in an age of limitless information is discerning what messages or beliefs are true and which ones are false. Who should we believe and who should we not believe?
In 1 Timothy 6:3-10, the believers who lived in the city of Ephesus were faced with the same challenge. They may not have had to deal with limitless access to limitless information in their pocket or hand, but they, like us, had to discern between fake truth and real truth. They had to learn to discern between impressive false teachers and those who taught the truth.
How do you know who to believe? How do you determine between those who are trustworthy and those who are not?
Here is a Tip: None of us are nearly as discerning and wise as we may think we are. We all need help seeing clearly and 1 Timothy 6 gives us some desperately needed tools.

Why are Churches so Unhealthy?

Health in Leaders and Churches • February 2, 2020 • Pastor David Anglin

Jesus said it is those who are sick that are in need of a doctor (or hospital) not the healthy. Jesus was referring to the sinners and trouble-makers he was spending time with as the sick. He was calling the prideful and self-righteous religious leaders, the healthy ones. In reality, Jesus knew the Pharisees needed his help just as bad as the “sinners” they looked down on.
If you carry Jesus's statement a bit further, one could call the church a hospital for the sick. If the church is a hospital then we should not expect it to be a place for perfect people. A church is a place where the sick and hurting can experience help and healing. If a church is full of people at different stages of health, in the process of being transformed by Jesus, the Great Physician, then it is going to be messy.
In 1 Timothy 5:17-25, Paul gives some important instructions regarding the health and leadership of a church. He covers some important topics including should elders be paid, what if they are accused of wrongdoing, how to select them. The passage also gives some important insights on the desperate need for people to have and use discernment.
If you have been hurt by a bad church experience or find it difficult to trust Pastors, elders, or others in a church this passage is for you.

Being a Leader Worth Following

January 19, 2020 • Pastor David Anglin

Many people have an expectation that they have a right to voice their opinion and when they speak people should listen. The assumption is that leadership and influence are an automatic right and anyone who declares themselves a leader ought to be respected. Others see leadership as something to be earned and obtained over time with age and experience. Once a person has paid their dues and earned their position to have leadership and influence then their position must be protected and never passed on. We usually see these false views of leadership displayed and the age-old tension between generations.
“Older people have always found it difficult to accept young people as responsible adults in their own right, let alone as leaders. And young people are understandably irritated when their elders keep reminding them of their immaturity and inexperience and treat them with contempt.” -John Stott
Being older does not guarantee one should have influence nor does youth exclude the possibility of leadership and influence. Many people have gifts, talents, and dreams of great things. The greatest danger comes when a leader's giftedness or ambition leads them further than their character can sustain them. “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them (Proverbs 11:3).”
In 1 Timothy 4:11-16, Paul is challenging Timothy to be the leader God has called him to be. Additionally, Paul challenges Timothy to not let age or youthfulness be a self-defeating excuse or a label for others to disqualify him with.
Here we can gain some great insight into what it means to be a leader worth following.

Preparing for the Future Storm

How can you avoid drifting away from your faith? • January 5, 2020 • Pastor David Anglin

Throughout the Bible, there are clear warnings that as the world draws closer to the end of times there will be dark and difficult times. God continually warns His people that there are storms ahead and many will fall or "drift away."
How should we respond to these warnings? We can live in denial or apply an optimism bias and ignore the warnings of a storm ahead or we can be prepared.
In 1 Timothy 4:1-6, we find a clear warning about a future storm in which many will be "drifting away." How can we be anchored and ready for the deceitful and confusing times of our day?